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Selective time-resolved binding of copper(ii) by pyropheophorbide-a methyl ester

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Abstract

The complexation behavior of pyropheophorbide-a methyl ester (PPME) with transition metal ions as well as other biologically relevant metal ions has been investigated in water—DMF (2 : 1 v/v) solution. PPME was found to selectively complex Cu2+ ions, which leads to a distinct change in its absorption spectrum as well as efficient fluorescence quenching. The degree of fluorescence quenching by Cu2+ depended on concentration and time. Upon addition of Cu2+, the fluorescence showed a time-resolved decay on the time scale of minutes to hours, with the decay rate being dependent on the cation concentration. Fitting according to a bimolecular reaction rate law provided a rate constant of 650 ± 90 M−1 s−1 at 298 K for metallochlorin formation. The potential implications of Cu2+ binding for the use of PPME in photodynamic therapy are discussed, along with its use as a fluorescent sensor for detection of micromolar concentrations of Cu2+.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering and Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany

    Indrajit Ghosh & Werner M. Nau

  2. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, UAE University, P.O. Box 17551, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Na’il Saleh

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  1. Indrajit Ghosh
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  2. Na’il Saleh
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Correspondence to Na’il Saleh or Werner M. Nau.

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Ghosh, I., Saleh, N. & Nau, W.M. Selective time-resolved binding of copper(ii) by pyropheophorbide-a methyl ester. Photochem Photobiol Sci 9, 649–654 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1039/c0pp00002g

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